Psystar screws Apple with virtualization licensing program

Psystar has confirmed that it will begin certifying OEM hardware to expedite the licensing of its OS X virtualization technology. The technology – which is “specifically” engineered for Snow Leopard – will reportedly allow the “seamless operation” of the popular Mac OS on generic Intel hardware.

“In an effort to spread the Snow Leopard experience to an ever-expanding number of people, the licensing initiative will allow manufacturers to have their hardware Psystar Certified and have their computers pre loaded with our unique technology including the Darwin Universal Boot Loader (DUBL),” Psystar explained in an official statement.

“Qualifying products must fall in desktop, server or mobile categories. Once a product is certified, consumers can purchase it off the shelf or through standard channels and when labeled Psystar certified would allow the installation of Snow Leopard simply by inserting the retail OS X DVD.”

The OEM licensing program is apparently part of Psystar’s “open computing vision” which offers users the opportunity to choose from a wide range of operating systems. As such, the company will allow computer manufacturers to ship certified systems pre-configured with DUBL and an OS of choice, including Windows 7, Windows Vista and several flavors of Linux.

“These systems would also be compatible with Mac OS X Snow Leopard and receive normal software updates through the use of ‘Safe Update’ technology,” claimed Psystar. “The customer can install the Mac OS themselves simply by inserting the retail DVD or choose to install several other OS’s with no manual boot configuration. DUBL supports up to six different operating systems on a single machine and configures itself automagicly.”

The company added that manufacturers would “benefit” from the OEM licensing program with “minimal expense” and in several hardware markets.

“In most cases Psystar will tailor the technology to a specific hardware profile(s) at no additional engineering cost, allowing manufacturers to save time and money by utilizing our familiarity running the Mac OS X on generic hardware.”